LETTERS
Subscribe and save:www.Real-Classic.co.uk/subs AUGUST 2019 IAbigservicestarto
DevonStainlessRims
whomanufactured
aone-offrearspoke
andgotittomein 36
hours,allforthemiserlysumof£ 8. 50!
PaulJennings,member
Ijusthadsome
newtyresfitted
tomySuzuki
TS 250 .Ihadbeen
runningsome
mid-knobblytypes
andIwasnever
tooimpressedwith
themontarmac.Aftermuchumming,
Ifinallydecidedonsomenew-fangled
Adventure/DualSporttyresasmyriding
tendstobe 98 %tarmacand 2 %other.
IfinallychoseMichelinSiracand
Iamveryimpressedwiththeirroad
performance,theyfeelverypositivewith
goodfeedback,andinmyopinionthey
lookOK.I’mnottooworriedaboutoff-road
performance;Ithinkitwouldbemethat
runsoutofperformancelongbeforethe
tyres!TheyaresaidtobeOKonallbutthick
mudwhenaspecialisttyreisreallyneeded.
Sofarsogood,andagoldstartomy
localtyreshopforsavingmethestruggle!
AngeloGreco,member
Ihavejustgotthepetrolandoiltanks
backformy 1924 NortonModel 18
restorationproject.Ihadthemdone
byPaintbox,anexcellentbusinessin
Portglenone,NI.Theirstandardofworkis
alwaysconcours-winningstandard.
DavidPattison,member
AservicestargoestoOpieOilsof
Redruth.Ineededaspecificoilformy
DaytonaRSandwasrecommended
Motul.TheonlystockistinCornwallwas
OpiesoIhadaridedownthereyesterday.
Thechapreallyknewhisstuff,askedalot
ofquestionsandagreedMotulwasthe
onetouse.Itcameatareallygoodprice,
andtheysellonlineaswell.
DaveCapon,member
ACARBSAGA
Iassumed therewas aproblem withmy
carbs asmy Yamaha TR1would barely
run andrefusedto evencontemplatethe
possibilityofaticko ver. It hadstood forfive
years soIexpectedthere’dbegunge,gum,
varnish andgrot whichI’ve re ad about so
manytimes.Until todayI’d neveractually
plucked up thecourageto do anything more
involved withacarburettor than adjust the
tickover. Never hadto!I’vebeen luckywith
my bikes,whatwith them all being 1970s or
early 80s Japanese and prettymuch never
going badly wrong.
Thelocal bike shopwanted£200 to clean
the carbs (£200!That waswith meremoving
the things from the bike.Inearly saidIwasn’t
lookingforanew motorcycle...), soIdecided
thatnow wasthe timeto bitethe bullet. I
took alook at whatmyHaynesmanual hasto
say. What could possibly go wrong?Quitea
lot,fromthe look of thatexploded diagram...
Anyway,after watchingaYouTube video
or twoIgot stuck in.Removing the linked
togetherHitach icarbs wasawkward. The
manual says toremove the intake rubbers,
remove the throttle cable and choke cable,
loosen the clips on the inlet stubs and
rotate the carburettor assembly clockwise
to remove from the machine.Sounds easy,
doesn’t it?
Therewas nowaytheywerecoming
out withoutremoving the intake stubs.
Outcame the stubs and they proved to
be badly perished and cracked.Carbs out,
marvelatt he huge spacebetween the
cylinders andretiretothe diningroom table
(SWMBOwasout). Crud,gunge,varnish and
gum abounded.Ithought, frommy vast
experienceofwatching YouTube videos,that
what I’ dbelievedto be amain jetwasinf act
apilot jet, sosmallwasthe aperture –until I
doused it withamighty squirtofc arbcleaner,
whereupon it became clear thatthe hole was
somewhatlarger than it hadatfirstappeared.Afte rasoak inCC and ablast ofcompressed
air,every orifice wasclear and clean. Ish.
I’mdead pleased withmyself.Both pilot jets
werecompletely blocked and both mains (hark
at me with thetechnical talk!)wereseverely
occluded (have to get themexorcised...
Oh, wait, th at’s ‘occult’). Ialso discovered a
perforated diaphragmwhich looks like it’s
been pinched.Anew one is on order.
Havingto wait fornew intake stubs and
diaphragmisablessing in disguise–there’s
spacenow toclean between thecylinders.
So the poor running and absentticko ver
maywell have been sorted. In modern
parlance,‘Gome!’
KeithBennett,member